The financing will back the acquisition of SFR after it
emerged that Vivendi entered into three weeks of exclusive talks
with Numericable in an effort to finalise the deal for 11.75
billion euros in cash, plus a stake in the resulting business.
[ID: nL6N0MB0LM]

The financing includes 5.25 billion euros-equivalent of term
loan B debt -- of which 3 billion euros will be denominated in
dollars.

There is also 5.3 billion euros of senior secured notes
which will be denominated in euros and dollars.

Cable group Altice is the holding company of founder Patrick
Drahi, Numericable's largest shareholder. The financing will
also include 3 billion euros of debt at the Altice level.

Numericable was not immediately available to comment.

A debt financing of this size will be welcomed by cash-rich
institutional investors and bankers eager to put money to work,
following a dearth of M&A in 2013.
($1 = 0.7181 Euros)
(Editing by Christopher Mangham)